


Warm Hearts

by LazyRainDancer



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Soulmates, Post-Graduation, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 16:30:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21057494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyRainDancer/pseuds/LazyRainDancer
Summary: Nothing's worse than the heater going out in the middle of winter. Thankfully, Anzu has some considerate soulmates looking out for her.





	Warm Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in my AU where Anzu and all the members of Undead are platonic soulmates. This happens a few years after they all graduate and after they all start sharing a living space.

Anzu is tired.

No, at this point, exhausted would be a much more accurate description for her current state. The last several nights, she has either pulled an all nighter or only gotten a few hours of sleep. The brunette is at the point where she can’t remember what it feels like to wake up in the morning after getting a full night’s sleep which is obviously a bad sign.

While she truly does love her job and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, Anzu sometimes wishes she didn’t have so many responsibilities. Of course, she realizes that’s a sign of how much she’s trusted, but having to oversee all the interns and new employees in addition to her regular producer work can be quite stressful, especially on the days when work is placed in her lap last minute because someone took too long to complete their assigned task.

That was the cause of her lack of sleep the last few days, having to pick up the slack for the new interns still learning the ropes. Honestly, the brunette can’t bring herself to be too upset since she remembers when she was in their shoes.

It’s because Anzu had so many kind seniors looking out for her that she was able to get this far, so she, in turn, wants to be that kind of senior for her juniors at work. She wants to support them and help them grow.

So, while she hasn’t gotten more than a total of six hours of sleep in the last several days, Anzu doesn’t have any regrets. This is the path she chose for herself, and she’s determined to follow through, doing her best as a producer and a senior.

Thankfully, the brunette doesn’t have a large workload tonight. While it’s late enough that all her soulmates have turned in for the night, it’s not so late that Anzu won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep.

After making some last minute edits to a budget spreadsheet, she checks the laptop’s clock to see that it’s only 10:30 PM. A relieved sigh escapes her lips as she closes the laptop. Finally, she can go to bed before midnight. 

Slowly, Anzu rises to her feet, leaving her laptop to charge on her desk. It’s as she’s stretching her arms in hopes of loosening her tight muscles that she finally notices how cold her room is. The brunette was so focused on her work that she didn’t realize the temperature had changed. 

_Did something happen to the heater? It was working fine when I started work a few hours ago._

When she sticks her head outside of her room, the cool air of the hallway hits her face, making her shiver. As much as she doesn’t want to leave her room for the much colder hallway, Anzu knows she needs to investigate the sudden change in temperature since it’s likely all the guys are fast asleep and completely unaware of it, meaning she’s the only one who can do the job. 

Quietly, the brunette walks down the hallway, rubbing her hands together in an effort to warm them up. Finally, a few minutes later, she finds the thermostat. 

By the looks of it, the heater _should_ be on right now. The goosebumps on her arms and her freezing hands are proof that it obviously isn’t. 

While she’s no expert on the subject, Anzu can at least tell that this is a problem that won’t be able to be solved tonight. Her sleep deprived brain is just not in the mood for this kind of activity. 

Fortunately, her exhaustion will actually come in handy in this situation. Anzu won’t have to worry about being too cold to sleep since she knows she’ll fall asleep as soon as her head hits her pillow.

So, without further ado, the brunette returns to her room to do just that. Much to her surprise, when she returns to her room, Anzu finds that it’s not how she left it.

“No fair, Rei-kun! Taking my idea like that! Why can’t you just invade Koga-kun’s room like you did last time?!”

“I would, but he got quite angry the last time I asked him to share his warmth. I thought it would be safer if I asked Anzu-jou-chan instead. She’s much more hospitable about these kinds of situations, you know.”

“I know! That’s why I’m here! Ah~ And, here I thought I could get Anzu-chan all to myself.”

Apparently, while she was away checking the thermostat, Rei and Kaoru decided to invite themselves into her room. Obviously, all of her soulmates aren’t asleep like she originally assumed.

Anzu walks into her room, instantly gaining the two men’s attention. She raises an eyebrow at the innocent smiles they aim her way. “I assume you both have a good reason for coming into my room uninvited?”

Kaoru jabs a thumb at Rei who’s currently in the younger girl’s bed for some reason. “It wasn’t my intention to do that, but when I saw your door was open, I decided to peek inside. That’s when I found this guy making himself comfortable.”

Her eyebrow rises further as she directs her gaze toward the dark haired male on her bed. Rei proceeds to give her those accursed puppy dog eyes that never fail to work on her. You’d think after knowing him for a few years that she’d have built up an immunity by now, but no, that’s unfortunately not the case.

“I apologize for entering without your permission, Jou-chan. It was not my original intention, but since you were not here and I wasn’t sure where you were, I thought I should wait for your return. And, this seemed like the most comfortable spot to do that.”

All she can do is sigh. “And, what exactly brought you two to my room in the first place? I thought everyone besides me was already asleep.”

“I was asleep, but the sudden temperature drop woke me up.” Kaoru replies, running a hand through his hair. “I tried to go back to sleep, but my room is freezing now. It’s like a damn icebox.”

His signature charming smile appears on his face. “That’s when I remembered the best way to stay warm is by sharing body heat. I was worried that you’d be too cold to sleep, so I thought I’d offer myself as your own personal heater. I can’t let my precious Anzu-chan freeze after all~”

So, that’s what’s going on. Well, now the guys’ earlier conversation makes sense. Kaoru had asked why Rei didn’t try going to Koga’s room which is what the dark haired idol did the last time it was too cold for him to sleep by himself.

Rei has a naturally low body temperature, so he’s not very good with cold weather. Since he gets cold easily, the dark haired man always has lots of blankets on his bed and always wears several layers of clothing when he goes outside during the winter.

Judging from his expression, Rei can tell Anzu has figured out that he’s in her room for pretty much the same reason as Kaoru. “I hate to impose, but unfortunately, since we have work in the morning, I cannot afford to spend the whole night awake. That’s why I hoped you would lend me your warmth in my time of need. Of course, I will not force you, Jou-chan.”

Of course, the fact that he’s now giving her the puppy dog eyes makes it hard for her to believe his last statement. Well, at least, Rei hasn’t brought out the fake tears this time.

For several seconds, Anzu just stares at her soulmates, who are both wearing hopeful expressions, before eventually sighing. “Fine. But, only if we can all manage to fit in my bed comfortably. I don’t want to be kicked out of my own bed.”

With a grin, Kaoru pulls her into a hug. “Of course, that won’t happen. Obviously, you’re sleeping in the middle, so you’ll be in the safest and warmest spot.”

After saying that, the blond moves to turn off the light and helps guide the brunette into the bed. Rei immediately moves to provide more space for his soulmates. 

As soon as she’s under the covers, the dark haired man wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “Ah~ Such a pleasant warmth. I can already feel it sinking into my old bones.”

Kaoru snorts as he climbs into the bed. “Even though you don’t act as much like an old man as you did in high school, that old man persona of yours really does come out a lot in the winter. It’s like you grow older just for the few months it’s cold.”

His arms wrap around Anzu’s waist as he sighs into her hair. “Well, not that I can blame you for being happy about this situation. This is definitely _way_ better than freezing alone in my room.”

Anzu fondly rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t particularly worried about the cold affecting my sleep, considering how tired I am, but I’ll admit this is definitely more comfortable than me sleeping by myself.”

A hand appears on her cheek, prompting her to look upwards at its owner. Red eyes study her closely as Rei gently strokes the area under her eye with his thumb. “You have developed some worrisome bags under your eyes lately, Jou-chan. We were all beginning to get worried. I was relieved to find your laptop closed when I came into your room since I thought you might still be working.”

Before she can respond, Kaoru adds, “Yeah, I had been worried you’d be up late again like you were last night. Considering how easily you zone out when you work, I thought you’d keep working and not even notice that the heater stopped working. I was worried I’d wake up tomorrow morning to find Anzu-chan had turned into a popsicle.” 

Realization dawns her features before her expression eventually softens. So, that’s why they’re really here. Her soulmates had been worried about her.

While she’s sure that the two not wanting to sleep alone because of the cold was one reason why they came to her room, it’s likely they’re mainly here since they thought it was a good opportunity to check on her and see how she was doing. If Anzu had still been working when they arrived, they likely would’ve done whatever they could to make her stop and turn in for the night, out of consideration for her health.

Her soulmates are the best. Anzu really is the luckiest girl on the planet, having such considerate people looking out for her.

Deciding such kindness should be rewarded, the brunette asks Kaoru to lean down so his face will be closer to hers, making it seem like she needs to tell him a secret. Once the blond is in range, Anzu kisses his cheek. “Thank you for worrying about me, Kaoru-san.”

Since it’s so dark, she misses the blush that colors his cheeks. On the other hand, Rei, with his excellent night vision, can see it and the giddy grin his unitmate is now wearing.

Chuckling, the dark haired idol directs his gaze back toward Anzu, noticing that her focus is on him now. A small smirk appears on his face as Rei leans down so that his face comes to rest just a few inches above hers. “Do I get a thank you present too, Jou-chan?”

She giggles before moving to press a kiss against his cheek. “Of course. Thank you for worrying about me, Rei-san.”

His smirk melts into an incredibly fond smile. “There’s really no reason to thank me, but I will gladly accept my present.”

“Ah, I just had a great idea~”

When Anzu turns her head to question Kaoru, the blond takes advantage of the given opportunity to kiss her cheek. “My present for the hardworking Anzu-chan. Good work today~”

Rei’s smile grows. “What a wonderful idea. Allow me to join in as well.”

Before she can tell him he doesn’t have to, Rei kisses her other cheek. “Thank you for all your hard work, Jou-chan~ We’re all very proud of our wonderful producer.”

A blush darkens her cheeks in response to their actions and words. Both of her soulmates grin as they pull away from her now incredibly warm cheeks. 

As she buries her face in Rei’s chest to hide her embarrassment, Kaoru asks, “Did you like my present, Anzu-chan? I’d be happy to give you another one if you want~”

Fingers start carding through her hair. “Now, now, Kaoru-kun. If you fluster her too much, Jou-chan won’t be able to fall asleep which would defeat the purpose of us coming here.” 

Anzu finds herself relaxing at Rei’s ministrations. “So, you really weren’t just here because you were cold.”

Rei chuckles, “While I will admit that was mostly an excuse to make sure you got some proper rest tonight, it is still true that I am very much in need of a sleeping companion tonight. Winters truly are dreadful.”

She gives him a light squeeze as she hugs him. “Do you still feel cold?”

He presses a kiss onto the top of her head. “Not at all. I am very comfortable now thanks to your generosity. I am most grateful.”

The arms wrapped around her waist strengthen their grip as Kaoru snuggles closer. “That’s all well and good, but I’d appreciate not being left out. I’ll feel lonely, you know~”

An amused Rei reaches over to ruffle the blond’s hair. “Ah, my apologies, Kaoru-kun. I will properly dote on you as well, rest assured.”

Kaoru rolls his eyes. “I was hoping to get more of Anzu-chan’s love, you know. But, oh well. Guess I should’ve seen that coming.”

Anzu giggles before moving one of her hands to copy Rei’s earlier actions. “Sorry, Kaoru-san. I’ll do my part too.”

As Rei quietly laughs, Kaoru leans into her touch much like a cat. “Much better~”

It’s at that moment a quiet yawn escapes the brunette’s lips, gaining both of her soulmates’ attention. Rei immediately starts stroking her hair like before. “You can go to sleep, Jou-chan. We know how tired you are after such a long week. Do not worry. We will be entering the land of dreams right behind you.”

“That’s right. We’ll keep you company in dreamland, so you’ll have nothing but pleasant dreams~”

After saying that, Kaoru starts to quietly hum a lullaby. His soothing voice combined with Rei’s ministrations and Anzu’s exhaustion make staying awake practically impossible for her.

However, as she closes her eyes, Anzu does manage to form a response before finally giving in to sleep’s enticing pull. “Good night, Kaoru-san, Rei-san. Thank you for coming.”

Fond smiles appear on both the idols’ faces. Their voices are the last thing Anzu hears before she finally falls asleep.

“Good night, Anzu/Anzu-chan. Sweet dreams~”

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously love writing platonic fluff especially when cuddling is involved. I HC Rei and Kaoru as being really affectionate/cuddly people with the ones they're close to since they show a lot of signs of that in canon. It's also my HC that Rei is really bad with the cold. I just thought it suited him lol
> 
> In regards to Adonis and Koga, neither of them are as bad with the cold as Rei and Kaoru. That's why they slept through the night without any problems. It helps that Koga has Leon sleeping with him which is like having his own personal heater haha
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed the story! ^-^


End file.
